Alsace 2007

The 2007 vintage in Alsace was superb, producing beautiful, elegant wines with great acidity, focus and intensity – but it wasn’t an easy one for the growers.

Spring was warm and flowering came early. By May the vines were nearly a month ahead of schedule, reminiscent of 2003. The weather turned throughout June and July, as rain kept the vineyards humid and in constant need of attention to prevent the spread of disease. Temperatures flip-flopped between warm and cool, slowing down the ripening process and pushing projected harvest dates back to September.

In late August the weather improved. Warm, sunny days brought life to the vines and ripening began in earnest. The good conditions continued through September and when the call to harvest finally came the extra hang time proved crucial. Flavors were fully developed, supported by beautiful acidity, making for a lovely crop of wines.

About Domaine Albert Mann

In Wettolsheim, a team of two brothers and their wives, including the granddaughter of Albert Mann, run this domaine. The quartet combines centuries of family winemaking expertise: the Barthelmes and the Manns have both been making wine in Alsace since the 17th century. Today, Domaine Albert Mann touts 19 hectares under vine, including 5 hectares worth of Grand Cru Vineyards. While most of the domaine's other wines are fat, round and at least moderately sweet, its Rieslings are vibrant and minerally, offering excellent cut and clarity. The estate's classic example from the granite soil of Schlossberg is typically austere in its youth. In both regular and old-vines versions, the Auxerrois are rich and full-bodied, sometimes reminiscent of Pinot Gris in weight and texture.

About Gewurztraminer

Gewurztraminer Facts

Flavor Profile

Ranges from dry to sweet, but deeply aromatic in all styles

Food Pairings

Munster cheese, pork, goose, spicy Asian food

One of the wine world's love-it-or-hate-it grapes, Gewürztraminer is for many wine lovers the signature variety of Alsace. Its highly perfumed aromas of rose petal, smoked meat, lychee, grapefruit, and spices are immediate and captivating, although some examples lack refinement and seem a bit blowzy owing to low acidity and high alcohol. Gewürztraminer is as unlike the steelier, more aristocratic Riesling as a white grape can be. No other region of the world has been able to produce significant quantities of Gewürztraminer that even approach the decadent richness and exotic fruit qualities that the best producers in Alsace achieve. Still, other than late-harvest versions, Gewürztraminer is normally a dry wine in Alsace, despite smelling like a sweet one. Gewürztraminer marries beautifully with rich, fatty dishes like pork and goose or ripe cheeses, as well as with the exotic spices of Moroccan, Indian, and Far Eastern cuisines.